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&@%==~.... S3VER4L C3NTUR1ES 4FT3R 1T H4D L4ST ....~==%@&
£&@%==~... B3LONGED TO US, W3 W3NT ON 4N OUT1NG TO ...~==%@&£
#£&@%==~.. TH3 GL4SS F4CTORY TH4T BOR3 OUR F4M1LY ..~==%@&£#
##£&@%==~. N4M3. 1T H4D CH4NG3D OWN3RS M4NY T1M3S .~==%@&£##
#£&@%==~.. S1NC3 OUR 4NC3STORS D34TH, 4ND TH3N ..~==%@&£#
£&@%==~... STOOD 4BANDON3D FOR 4 LONG WH1L3. ...~==%@&£
&@%==~.... F1N4LLY, TH3 N4TURAL 3ND ST4T1ON FOR ....~==%@&
@%==~..... TH3 BU1LDINGS TH4T SURV1V3: 4 MUS3UM, .....~==%@
%==~...... 4ND 4 G1FT SHOP. ......~==%
==~....... .......~==
=~........ TH3RE'S 4 LONG T1M3 S1NC3 MY F4M1LY ........~=
~......... M4D3 4NYTH1NG. BY M4NY, W3 WOULD B3 .........~
.......... CONS1D3RED POOR. ..........
~......... .........~
=~........ TH3RE 4R3 TWO M41N F4CTORY BU1LDINGS, ........~=
==~....... DOM3D TH1NGS OF S3VER4L FLOORS, M4D3 1N .......~==
%==~...... Y3LLOW BR1CK. L4RG3 BUT N4RROW W1NDOWS, ......~==%
@%==~..... R3M1NESCENT OF SOM3 C4TH3DRAL. .....~==%@
&@%==~.... CUSTOM-M4D3 GL4SS, OF COURS3, L4RG3 4ND ....~==%@&
£&@%==~... L34D3D, 4ND 4SH3N. 4 B1T TOO D4RK TO B3 ...~==%@&£
#£&@%==~.. PR4CT1CAL. ON TH3 34STERN BU1LDING, ..~==%@&£#
##£&@%==~. SOM3 4R3 SH4TT3RED. .~==%@&£##
#£&@%==~.. ..~==%@&£#
£&@%==~... TH3 OTH3R ON3 1S PUBL1CLY OP3N. TH3RE'S ...~==%@&£
&@%==~.... 4 MUS3UM, W1TH W4X F1GUR3S OF MY GR34T ....~==%@&
@%==~..... GR34T GR34T GR4NDFATH3R, OR SOM3TH1NG. .....~==%@
%==~...... V4R1OUS TOOLS (OR R3PL1C4S) L41D OUT ON ......~==%
==~....... T4BL3S, W1TH 3XPL41NING T3XTS. 4 LOT OF .......~==
=~........ GL4SS OF V4RY1NG TH1CKN3SS. ........~=
~......... .........~
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=~........ ======= % % ======= ........~=
==~....... %% %% .......~==
%==~...... %% ......~==%
@%==~..... .....~==%@
&@%==~.... 1 QU1CKLY SN34K OUT, 4ND CL1MB 1NTO TH3 ....~==%@&
£&@%==~... OTH3R BU1LDING. TH3 CONTR4ST 1S ...~==%@&£
#£&@%==~.. OV3RWHELM1NG. 1T MUST H4V3 STOOD ..~==%@&£#
##£&@%==~. D3REL1CT FOR 4 LONG T1M3, W1NDOWS .~==%@&£##
#£&@%==~.. BROK3N, M3T4LL1C TR4SH 4ND POOLS OF ..~==%@&£#
£&@%==~... D4RK GL4SS 4LL OV3R TH3 FLOOR. NO ...~==%@&£
&@%==~.... 3LECTR1C L1GHTS, BUT 1 C4N S3E BY TH3 ....~==%@&
@%==~..... L1GHT TH4T SH1N3S 1N WH3REVER TH3 D4RK .....~==%@
%==~...... W1NDOWS 4R3 M1SSING 4 P4N3. ......~==%
==~....... .......~==
=~........ HOW3VER, TH3 GR34TEST D1FF3RENCE 1S TH3 ........~=
~......... H1GH3R FLOORS: TH1S BU1LDING H4S NON3. .........~
.......... 1T 1S ON3 M4SS1V3 H4LL, STR3TCH1NG 4WAY ..........
~......... 1NFINIT3LY 4BOV3 M3. SOM3WHERE UP TH3RE .........~
=~........ 1S SOM3 GR34T 1RON L4TT1C3WORK, FROM ........~=
==~....... WH3RE CH41NS 4R3 SUSP3NDED, 4ND P4RTS .......~==
%==~...... OF M4CH1N3RY H4S B3EN F4LL1NG DOWN. ......~==%
@%==~..... .....~==%@
&@%==~.... TH3RE 1S, 1N TH3 M1DDL3 OF TH3 GR34T ....~==%@&
£&@%==~... H4LL, 4 TH1N SP1R4L ST41RCAS3 TH4T ...~==%@&£
#£&@%==~.. L34DS UP TH3RE. 1 SN34K OV3R TH3RE, 4ND ..~==%@&£#
##£&@%==~. T4K3 4 F3W R3LUCT4NT ST3PS. 4FT3R JUST .~==%@&£##
#£&@%==~.. 4 R3VOLUT1ON, 1 NOT1C3 TH4T FOR 34CH ..~==%@&£#
£&@%==~... ST3P TH3 BU1LDING ST4RTS TO GLOW, TH3 ...~==%@&£
&@%==~.... BR1CKS TURN1NG 4 D4RK R3D, 4ND TH3N ....~==%@&
@%==~..... OR4NG3, 4LL TH3 P1L3D UP D3BREE B31NG .....~==%@
%==~...... L1T FROM B3H1ND. ......~==%
==~....... .......~==
=~........ 1 STOP R34DY TO RUN DOWN 4ND OUT, BUT ........~=
~......... TH3RE'S SOM3ONE 3LSE ON TH3 ST41RCAS3 .........~
.......... W1TH M3 NOW, PR3SSED CLOS3. H3'S ..........
~......... LOOK1NG L1K3 M3, SHORT H41R 4ND TH1N .........~
=~........ 4RMS, BUT W1TH 34RS FROM SOM3 4N1MAL, ........~=
==~....... 4ND MOR3 D1STURBINGLY, COMPL3TELY M4D3 .......~==
%==~...... OF D4RK L1QUID GL4SS. ......~==%
@%==~..... .....~==%@
&@%==~.... %% ....~==%@&
£&@%==~... %% %% ...~==%@&£
#£&@%==~.. ======= % % ======= ..~==%@&£#
##£&@%==~. %% %% .~==%@&£##
#£&@%==~.. %% ..~==%@&£#
£&@%==~... ...~==%@&£
&@%==~.... MY F34R HOLDS M3 1N PL4C3 WH1L3 H3 ....~==%@&
@%==~..... ST4RTS OP3R4T1NG L3VERS 4ND D14LS S3T .....~==%@
%==~...... 1N TH3 C3NTER OF TH3 ST41RCAS3. SLOWLY, ......~==%
==~....... 1T ST4RTS SP1NNING, C1RCLING UPW4RDS. .......~==
=~........ 1T'S 4N 3LEV4TOR! 1 ST4RT TO RUN ........~=
~......... DOWNW4RDS, BUT NOW TH3 L1QUID BOY .........~
.......... CR34TURE GR4BS HOLD OF M3. 1 TRY TO ..........
~......... SH4K3 H1M OFF, BUT H3'S TOO STRONG, 4ND .........~
=~........ PULLS M3 B4CK UP B3S1DE H1M. ........~=
==~....... .......~==
%==~...... TH1S T1M3, 1 TURN 4NGRY 1NST34D. WH4T ......~==%
@%==~..... TH3 H3LL? WHO 1S TH1S GUY, 4CT1NG L1K3 .....~==%@
&@%==~.... TH1S? 1 R34CH OUT MY FR3E 4RM 4ND SL4M ....~==%@&
£&@%==~... 4 R4NDOM L3VER. SOM3 M3T4L B4R 1S ...~==%@&£
#£&@%==~.. SUDD3NLY R3LE4SED B3TWEEN US, H1TTING ..~==%@&£#
##£&@%==~. H1M ON TH3 4RM, FORC1NG MY R3LE4SE. 1 .~==%@&£##
#£&@%==~.. SHOV3 H1M OFF OF M3, 4ND H3 F4LLS 1NTO ..~==%@&£#
£&@%==~... TH3 L3VERS, M3SS1NG TH3M UP. ...~==%@&£
&@%==~.... 1MM3DI4TELY, 4 TH1N RUSTY CH41NMAIL ....~==%@&
@%==~..... CURT41N 1S DROPP3D 4ROUND M3. BUT TH3 .....~==%@
%==~...... 3LEV4TOR 4LSO SP3EDS UP S1GNIFIC4NTLY. ......~==%
==~....... .......~==
=~........ TH3 W4LLS 4R3 FL4R1NG NOW, Y3LLOW, ........~=
~......... WH1T3, 4LMOST BLU3. 1 CLOS3 MY 3YES 4ND .........~
.......... CURL 1NTO 4 B4LL. BUT TH3N, TH3 GL4SS ..........
~......... BOY SCR34MS, 4 P13RCING SOUND TH4T .........~
=~........ FORC3S MY 3YES B4CK OP3N. 1 W4TCH 4S H3 ........~=
==~....... B3COMES TOO L1QUID, H1S BODY POOL1NG .......~==
%==~...... DOWN 1N H1S NOW M4SS1V3 T41L, 4ND TH3 ......~==%
@%==~..... T1P OF 1T SUDD3NLY BR34KS OF 1N 4 GL4SS .....~==%@
&@%==~.... DROP TH4T F4LLS TOW4RD TH3 F4CTORY ....~==%@&
£&@%==~... FLOOR. ...~==%@&£
#£&@%==~.. ..~==%@&£#
##£&@%==~. H3'S CR4WL1NG ON TH3 ST41RS, UN4BL3 TO .~==%@&£##
#£&@%==~.. K3EP H1S BODY UPR1GHT. C4N'T R34CH TH3 ..~==%@&£#
£&@%==~... L3VERS, CL4WS 4T MY CH41NMAIL C4G3, ...~==%@&£
&@%==~.... WH1L3 H1S BODY 1S TURN1NG 1NTO D4RK ....~==%@&
@%==~..... P34RLS. F1N4LLY, H3'S LOST TOO MUCH OF .....~==%@
%==~...... H1MS3LF 4ND TH3 SCR34M 1S CUT SHORT. ......~==%
==~....... TH3 L4ST OF H1M R41NS DOWN. .......~==
=~........ ........~=
~......... 1 ST1LL C4N'T R34CH TH3 L3VERS FROM .........~
.......... W1THIN MY C4G3. LOOK1NG UP, 1 TRY TO ..........
~......... M4K3 OUT TH3 C31LING, BUT 1T'S 4LL 4 .........~
=~........ WH1RLING S34 OF COLOURS. B3LOW M3 GLOWS ........~=
==~....... TH3 H3LLF1RE OF TH3 F4CTORY W4LLS, BUT .......~==
%==~...... V3RY F41NT. 1 S1T DOWN, CURL B4CK UP, ......~==%
@%==~..... B3COME ST1LL. .....~==%@
&@%==~.... ....~==%@&
£&@%==~... %% ...~==%@&£
#£&@%==~.. %% %% ..~==%@&£#
##£&@%==~. ======= % % ======= .~==%@&£##
#£&@%==~.. %% %% ..~==%@&£#
£&@%==~... %% ...~==%@&£
&@%==~.... ....~==%@&
@%==~..... 4 L4RG3 CLUNK SH4K3S MY 3NT1RE BODY, .....~==%@
%==~...... 4ND SN4PS M3 B4CK 1NTO R34L1TY. 1'M ......~==%
==~....... B4CK 4T TH3 F4CTORY FLOOR, BUT TH3 .......~==
=~........ ST41RS 4R3 ST1LL MOV1NG SL1GHTLY, ........~=
~......... CL1CKING 1N PL4C3, C4RRY1NG M3 TH3 L4ST .........~
.......... F3W C3NT1METERS. 1 C4M3 FROM B3LOW, ..........
~......... SOM3HOW. TH3 CH41NMAIL 1S R3TR4CTED, .........~
=~........ 4ND 1 SLOWLY D1SMOUNT TH3 ST41RS. ........~=
==~....... .......~==
%==~...... SH4K1NG 4ND CRY1NG, 1 M4K3 MY W4Y OV3R ......~==%
@%==~..... TH3 F4CTORY FLOOR, W4D1NG THROUGH D4RK .....~==%@
&@%==~.... GL4SS M4RBL3S. 4 QU1CK GL4NC3 DOWN, 4ND ....~==%@&
£&@%==~... 1 S3E TH3RE'S SOM3TH1NG F41NT 1NSID3 ...~==%@&£
#£&@%==~.. TH3M. 3MBRYOS? 4R3 TH3SE 3GGS? ..~==%@&£#
##£&@%==~. .~==%@&£##
#£&@%==~.. 1 SHUDD3R, 4ND CL1MB B4CK OUT. ..~==%@&£#
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